Comments on: UKIP’s First MP

By: Philip Thomas

Philip Thomas — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:15:05 +0000

Ah, but we may have a party system but we elect individuals. He can change parties without forcing a by-election but a party can’t change individuals without forcing one. It’s a dilemma. Part of me feels he should give the voters in his patch (a sizeable portion of whom will have voted for him only as a Conservative) a chance to choose, another part of me thinks that his name was bigger than the party logo on his row of the ballot paper. Tough call. I’d stand down and I’d recommend others to but the fact is that he doesn’t have to.

By: markc

markc — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:42:50 +0000

After all the criticism of the One-Eyed Bandit’s uncontested takeover from the last chappie, er wossisname, er.. oh I forget, and previous criticisms of other nonentities who crossed the floor in search of a longer period of snout-in-trough, it would have seemed gracious for this obviously-highly-principled politician to have stood down and consulted his constituents in a bye-election on whether they wished him to continue under the banner of UKIP.

Good luck to him were the answer sought, and was “yes”. If not, he’s just another squealing, grunting porcine. Oink.

By: ukipwebmaster

ukipwebmaster — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:08:04 +0000

Great news!
The CCHQ trolls will be out in force……
Oops! – clicked the submit button too soon.

By: ukipwebmaster

ukipwebmaster — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:07:08 +0000

Gret news!
The CCHQ trolls will be out in force……

By: Matthew

Matthew — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:35:49 +0000

Thinking some more, I think he would be advised to resign and fight a by-election. I think that would give him a much larger chance of winning the seat than waiting until a General Election, as the media coverage would be higher. And if he won he would probably hold it at the next election.

By: sanbikinoraion

sanbikinoraion — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:34:25 +0000

Hmmm, my rather scathing comment appears to be “still awaiting moderation” despite later, more supportive, comments being published. The death of free speech, eh?

Tim adds: Too many links in it. Automatically spammed. Approved now.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:33:18 +0000

I see he had resigned the Tory whip, or it was withdrawn (although even the Tories say it was withdrawn because he was about to resign).

He should now of course resign his seat and fight a by-election.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:29:19 +0000

That story is a lot more impressive than I thought. I read:

after a former Conservative MP agreed to join the party

as meaning he was a ‘former MP’, ie had quit parliament.

By: Mark Wadsworth

Mark Wadsworth — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:54:08 +0000

Top stuff indeed. But to be fair, how long did it take the SDP to get its first MPs?

By: sanbikinoraion

sanbikinoraion — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:41:57 +0000

Yay, the mentalist who's been supporting Nadine Dorries on her utterly vacuous and disingenuous "minority report" to the science committee! He also appears to be a bit racist, and voted for the war, against gay rights and is in the top 10% for expenses, despite his constituency being only 40 miles from Westminster. And didn't he used to be a labour MP? So yeah, I hope you're proud - he sounds like a dick.

By: Ross

Ross — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:29:22 +0000

Getting someone else’s castoffs isn’t that impressive. By that standard UKIP are a good decade behind the Referendum Party who took in anouther expelled Tory George Gardiner.

By: Kit

Kit — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:00:24 +0000

So when is John Redwood and Frank Field joining;)